Pierre the puppy is a Papillon. He’s not a butterfly, despite his big ears, he’s a dog. He’s not a baby, although he likes being held like one. He’s sweet and cute and smart and often very loud and annoying. So maybe he’s more like a toddler?

Sadie is a Weimaranar, just like those dogs on Sesame Street who play dress up and make videos. She’d rather not be an actress, though. Too many wardrobe changes wear her out these days. She is 14, which is old for a big dog.

She's an old lady now, in dog years.

Together these dogs are entertaining, but they bark too much and drive me a little nuts. We need a dog whisperer around here, somethin’ fierce. This is what happens whenever the mailman comes, or someone walks down the street, or I come home:

How.do.I.make.them.stop.this.nonsense? Please advise!

About the author

juliejulie

I'm quite sophisticated, really. For more information: julieanderson at hotmail.com
It all seems rather amusing, if you ask me.

Redirect them and practice practice practice. Ring the doorbell and ignore it over and over. Have somebody come up to the door and do nothing, completely ignore it. Redirection and desensitization combined with praising them when the do not behave badly will do it. Be prepared for it to get worse before it gets better. May the force be with you, buy some ear plugs.

Pages

Stay In Touch

More

I'm a 43 year old mommy who works in the tech industry, and runs. Sometimes. My mantra? "Try, not cry!"
Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the RSS feed.